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BREAKING THE BARRIERS: FACULTY-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM BRINGS STUDENTS AND FACULTY TOGETHER

Not only
do they share their knowledge in the
classroom, but these faculty share
their day-to-day life and
experiences by living alongside
students in residential facilities
as part of the Faculty-in-Residence
(FIR) program. By interacting
informally on a daily basis, the
program brings students and faculty
together providing students with a
connection to role models, educators
and a contact to the UH academic
community outside of the classroom.
The FIR program, starting its second
year at the University of Houston in
Fall 2011, adds a new dimension to
the residential experience.

For the 2010-11 academic year, three
professors from different fields of
study took part in the FIR program:
Dr. Raul Ramos, associate professor
in the history department; Carroll
Parrott Blue, research professor for
the Center for Public History and
Texas Learning and Computation
Center; and Dr. Cathy Horn,
associate professor in the education
psychology department. The
professors made a UH residential
facility their primary home, living
with their families and interacting
daily with their student neighbors.

“It takes a village to graduate the
quality of University of Houston
students who become our committed
alumni and productive citizens, and
who then send their children to UH,
thus starting the cycle again. I
find it rewarding to be a member of
the UH Faculty-in-Residence program
that helps UH to develop this
quality of a village,” said Carroll
Parrott Blue, Moody South resident.

During the year, Blue, Horn and
Ramos were responsible for providing
educational activities and programs
to the residential facilities to
contribute to the learning
community. As one of their programs,
the FIRs brought deans from
different colleges in to share a
meal with students and answer
questions during their Dean’s Dinner
Series. FIR’s also cultivate
interactions with undergraduates to
encourage students to grow, develop
and refine their values. By living
within the residential facilities,
they remain available to their
neighbors as role models, resources
and act as advocates for the
students.

“It’s been a wonderful and
enlightening year for me and my
family,” said Ramos, FIR Cougar
Village resident. “We’ve adjusted to
the residence hall and campus life
and grown to be friends with the
fascinating students living around
us. The campus has much to offer
beyond the typical class hours.
We’ve been fortunate to be present
at and participate in the growth of
UH at a turning point in its
history.”

Residential Life and Housing plans
to add one more faculty member to
the FIR program to live in the
Quadrangle for the 2011-12 academic
year. To qualify, the faculty member
must be full-time at the assistant
professorial rank or above with at
least two years of experience at UH.
For more information on the program,
click here.